FIG. 1 shows a conventional rollup door 10 (also known as an overhead door) system which typically includes first and second opposing vertical guide tracks 12, 14 which are mounted in the doorway opening. A rollup door 16 typically has a curtain 18 made of a number of connected sheets which move within the guide tracks. A bottom bar base member 20 comprising an elongated bar is at the bottom of the curtain 18. The bottom bar 20 may comprise an L-shape in cross-section having a vertical section 22 and a horizontal section 24. The bar typically has a rope 26 for manual raising and lowering from the coil side. Brackets support the door 16 and utilize a tension wheel 28 and/or associated drive mechanism (not shown) for manual and/or motor driven moving the door. A conventional door lock mechanism typically has a sliding lock bar 32 mounted to the curtain 18 and either an aperture 30 in one or both of the guide tracks 12 or 14 or a striker plate having an aperture and mounted to one of the guide tracks. When the door 16 is positioned for locking, the sliding lock bar 32 slides into the aperture 30 and the door 16 is maintained in relative position until the mechanism is unlocked. A lock, such as a combination or key lock, is manually attached to the locking bar (either directly or indirectly) to prevent unlocking by anyone other than the intended user. A sectional door, most commonly found in residential garages, comprises a set of sections which have a number of guide rollers mounted on axles which roll within the guide tracks.
One problem with such manual sliding lock systems is that the locking mechanism relies on the tenant providing an external lock which is necessarily accessible by anyone from outside of the storage unit, and which can be cut by a burglar with a bolt cutter. Another problem with a manual locking system is that if the tenant loses the key a bolt cutter is needed to be able to unlock the door. Also, in the event that a tenant fails to pay rent, the facility manager typically must add an additional lock to the locking mechanism to prevent the tenant from accessing the storage unit until the rent is paid. However, the tenant can cut the facility's lock with a bolt cutter.
It would be desirable to have a rollup door security and locking system which would eliminate the need for externally accessible mechanical locks. It would be desirable for such a system to permit remote control of access by a facility manager. It would be desirable for such a system to provide access to users by a user interface which would be more reliable than a conventional mechanical combination or key lock. It would also be desirable to have an electronic locking system that would have a manual release mechanism to allow a user to bypass the electronic lock system to manually release the door from the lock so that the door can be opened if there is a power failure.